These were washed up in great numbers (>100) in some places. I have just returned from a fishing trip in Ireland where we fished the surf for Bass at St Finans/Finians Bay Kerry. I saw hundreds of sail jellyfish on the surf - amazing creatures - travelling almost too fast to catch in the hand. Even when turned over by a wave they would soon right themselves and carry on. Some even appeared to turn themselves around to steer away from the shore, perhaps by dropping some of the frill of tentacles beneath to cause resistance while the wind pushed the opposite end around. The strong wind and current coupled with weed in the tide made fishing very difficult but these colourful little jellies made my day. AL. Alan Lewthwaite Sunday, October 15th, 2006 at 13:11:58 Interesting shot. I just returned for a few days at Pacifica, CA, USA, where indeed hundreds were on the beach. According to one local, it happens about twice a year. I had seen them once before. Went on the computer to see if I could identify, and found this - exactly what I was looking for. Thank you. My shots are all on the beach. Richard McCall Sunday, May 6th, 2007 at 09:23:40 I saw these recently in Pacifica, CA too, thousands of them washed ashore one morning in May 2007. That afternoon they looked like dried leaves. But the curious thing was that there were all these dead ladybugs near them in the morning. I wondered if the ladybugs were attracted to the velelle, and then got stung and died. I have no idea, but that was my guess. I wasn't sure why so many velelle had washed ashore. it was a pretty amazing sight. Jennifer Thursday, May 17th, 2007 at 21:43:34 Me and my father saw them on the west coast of vancouver island, Canada 20miles off shore of nootka island, 5miles from Banjo reef. There where hundreds of them and at firt we thought that it was flower petals floating. It was a windy day about 25-35mile an hour winds and then floated like minnie sail boats. Ive have seen many things on the west coast but nothing ever like this. This was about August 20 2007 Tanis Thursday, December 27th, 2007 at 19:20:01 We saw these little creatures recently in Bandon, Oregon on the beach. They had washed up after the storms. My kids loved looking at them on the sand, but I bet they are more beautiful swimming live. Michelle Sunday, January 6th, 2008 at 15:58:02 I recently went to Pacifica and found three jellyfish that I assumed to be sail jellyfish. However, the ones that I found did not have the blue along the bottom. I was planning on doing a report about these jellyfish, yet I do not know for certain if they are sail jellyfish. Were the ones that I found female sail jellyfish, or a completely different species? Alex Asay Thursday, July 17th, 2008 at 08:44:22 I saw these scattered all over the beach a mile from where I live. The ones I found were completly clear with barley any blue they do not sting as far as I know and have almost identical patterns. alli Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 at 17:30:26 OMG, I've been trying to figure out what those are since I saw them on Muir Beach, CA in 2003! SushiGirl Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 at 20:27:44 20/5/09 - have just seen many thousands on Pendower Beach, Cornwall. Phil Wallace Wednesday, May 20th, 2009 at 12:05:45 Kayaking around the coast and encountered thousands of these in the water between Seaton and Looe in Cornwall today (23/05/09). A fantastic sight - they look like bubbles on the water until you get close enough to see the sails - and such a beautiful colour. Rebecca Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 at 12:35:49 I have just seen hundreds at the sea edge on the Mediterranean beach in the Costa Blanca. Never seen them before in 20-some years of walking that beach. Mildred Mildred Sunday, May 24th, 2009 at 13:31:47 We have just returned from Majorca where we saw hundreds of these on the sea near cala d'or. We were swimming away and all of a sudden there were hundreds of them bobbing along-we had no idea what they were! joy Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 03:23:43 Glad to have found this site. Sailing between Menorca and Sardinia on the 10th -12th June 2009 we encountered a continuous carpet of these mysterious creatures. We have never seen anything like it before. The density was about 10 or more per square metre. Not knowing what they were thought they could be an alien attack! Do they sting and who eats them? Jinti Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 14:02:14 Today we saw a few hundred or so scattered all up and down the beach at Channel Islands Beach in Oxnard. We tossed a great many back in the water after checking them out in our beach pails. Thanks for telling us what they were! Dave Sunday, July 19th, 2009 at 21:59:15 Alan Lewthwaite, did you used to fish with my dad - John Redfern- if so could you contact me please on nurse65 @ google mail .com please, thanks Sandra Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 at 14:21:50 we have just returned from the south of scotland, a place called port logan on arival on the 15th august 2009, we found hundreds of these jelly fish on the beach along with larger cousins. We also had never seen them before. We have been told that it is a rare occasion. so feel very lucky to have seen them. angie angela scales Saturday, August 29th, 2009 at 03:41:51 Sailing in March from the Bahamas to Miami and saw hundreds of them sailing along in the Straits of Florida. I watched them right themselves after being rolled over and they seem to be filled with a blue liquid. Interesting. Dave Sunday, April 11th, 2010 at 16:50:20 Wow! I saw some of these during spring break in early april at cocoa beach florida! I'm so glad I know what they are now, because I didn't really wan't to go in the water if they were poisonous. I saw many along the shore but none in the water, alive at least. From what it sounds like, these jellies are harmless. Hey guess what? I am only 11 years old. Anyway, I was curious and kept trying to find out what they were online, and finally I typed in sail jellyfish because it looked like they had sails, and it worked. Thanks! Anna Friday, July 2nd, 2010 at 18:14:22

Camera:	Nikon D2x
Date:	Monday, May 23rd, 2005 at 7:20 AM
Exposure:	1/30 sec at f8.0
ISO:	100 asa
Lens:	105mm f/2.8D AF Micro-Nikkor at 105mm (equivalent field of view of a 157.5mm lens on a 35mm camera)
Photographer:	John Harvey
Scientific Name:	species related to Velella velella (Sail Jellyfish, By-the-wind sailor)
Tag:	shallow depth of field, jellyfish, beach
Larger image:	1999 x 1331
Raw image:	4296 x 2860